EVENT LOG: GRAVES

[inthenightmods]

EVENT LOG:
GRAVES

characters: everyone.
location: Bonfire Square.
date/time: July 12-19.
content: mysterious shrines appear and bring visions of death.
warnings: likely violence and potentially gore.

time to pay your respects.

It happens when no one is looking, when most of the town is asleep and the rest are inside. A makeshift cemetery has come to Beacon, taking up residence in the middle of Bonfire Square. Each monument, shrine, and altar is dedicated to someone who now resides here, a memorial of their previous life.

Some may be drawn by curiosity, others by fear, and some may simply have to pass through this strange graveyard to get to the Bonfire itself. Whenever a person gets near, the altars beckon with a mysterious urge— an urge to approach, and an urge to leave something behind. They will feel compelled to make offerings at the various shrines, but doing so has a curious effect; it causes one to experience the death of the person whose grave they've honored.

Whether you resist the compulsion or give in willingly (or something in between), you'll also have to wrestle with the fact that a grave exists for you. Will you let your death be known, or try your best to keep it secret? Destroying it sure won't work, as it will return— with a duplicate somewhere else in town.

However you choose to deal with this, one thing is hard to ignore— this a tangible reminder of your death, and the fact that it's probably permanent.

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Comments

[broplaints]

[He tried to go when Ignis wasn't there.

Tried to simply leave the tiny paper fish behind and go. The dark, royal purple would stand out against the lighter wood, and he already knew Ignis would know exactly who it had come from. There was no need to stick around and have himself be discovered, mourning over the loss of someone who was still at his side.

But the vision came before he could slip away.

It was horrifying. And he wants to scream - tries to, actually, that he's already gone. That Ignis should just save himself. Shouldn't be so reckless over someone who's not even there anymore. But no matter how hard he tries, nothing comes out. Everything continues, keeps going on and on and on.

Everything in him rebels against the sight of the ring, against what Ignis is doing. Because he knows the price - only those of the line of Lucis may use the ring. Those who try are burned into ash where they stand. And it feels like he's going to turn into nothing more than a pile of ashes. It doesn't, because a king - his father steps forward and convinces the others to allow this.

Terrible, awful, searing pain comes next and it feels like his heart is dying. Part of him - all of him desperately wants Ignis to win this battle. To do what he isn't strong enough to and defeat Ardyn for good. But it's only for now. Only ever for now.

Just when he thinks it's finally over, when the ring is finally gone and the black metal of it clatters onto the ground, just when he believes maybe he can breath again. Only no air comes into his lungs, despite how they feel like they're burning, collapsing upon themselves. Because Ignis speaks, so close to where he lies and yet so far away. Reaching out for him like he wants to touch him one final time before the world fades away and death over takes him. It's almost cruel, those few inches of space between them, the way the ring lays there, almost mocking them.

He speaks and Noctis isn't sure he'll ever be able to recover from those two words.

Forgive me. Like there had ever been anything to forgive.

How many times had he already broken down over this? Honestly, he'd lost count. Tried to do it alone where no one could see the overwhelming guilt that ate away at him for not being strong enough. For allowing any of this to happen.

His fault. It was all his fault.

In the end he ends up on the ground, down on his knees in the dirt, cheeks tear stained. He doesn't even notice that there may be other's around, because he just keeps hearing Ignis' voice within his mind.

Forgive me. How could he when couldn't even forgive himself?]

[reigniter]

[Had he seen Noctis approach his shrine, Ignis would definitively get him away from it. The offering will always be dear to his heart, but it is not worth going through all of that, all over again. However, Ignis spots him way too late. Noctis is already on his knees when Ignis reaches him in a few long strides, pain and worry clearly written over his face.

Crouching next to him, he instantly brings both of his hands around Noct's shoulders.]

Noct. Noct, are you alright?

[A pointless question because clearly, Noctis isn't alright. But it leaves Ignis' mouth faster than the man can think about it. What should he do? What can he do? Noct looks so distraught and he's crying and Ignis doesn't know how to make it better.

Maybe because there is no way to make it better. All he can do is offer him comfort.]

Noct...

[broplaints]

[Somewhere off in the distance he can hear his name being spoken. Words floating towards him on the wind. But they're nothing more than a soft whisper against the voices that play within his mind, over and over again.

This is your fault.

Some king you are.

Look what you did. What you caused.

Maybe if he cried long enough he would go back to being numb. The voices of guilt would die back down and he would be able to ignore them. To pretend like they weren't there. Like this wasn't all of his fault. Maybe if he paid enough penance in the form of tears and heartache it would leave him alone.

But Ignis' arms come around him, lift him up out of the dirt and stop this insane, desperate ritual in some bid to find peace. Ignis speaks and he opens his eyes, half expecting to wake up and find that this has all been a dream.

It isn't. Because he can see the faint outline of the scars present upon Ignis' face, and it hurts all over again. Will it always hurt this much? Will he ever find someway to dull the pain?

What he wants to say is 'I'm sorry, Iggy. I'm so sorry.' But it's like his voice won't work, even though he opens his mouth to speak. All that comes out is another sob and he hangs his head. Because he's always so weak, and it was his weakness that had cost them all so much.]

[reigniter]

[Ignis wishes he caught Noctis before he left the offering at the shrine. He should've known better, he should've paid more attention, especially after he found out what the shrines do. But he is late (it's becoming a thing he should fix) and now Noct is suffering because of the memories. Because of Ignis' own decisions.

He knows that nothing he says will make Noct's pain go away. His King always held himself accountable for everyone's misfortune. So good at heart that he'd take everyone else's pain onto himself, in an attempt to spare them a keep them safe.

Noctis doesn't have to apologize to Ignis, for anything. It is not his fault it happened. But right now, there doesn't seem to be a way to reassure him from it, so the only thing Ignis can do is hold him, hands wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

How he wishes he could take away this pain from him...]

It's okay, Noct...

[broplaints]

[It isn't.

It isn't okay and right now he's completely certain that nothing is ever going to be okay again.

But there's the steady drum of something beginning to break through the sound of voices replaying within his own mind. Starting to edge out the sound of his own broken sobs. Strong and real, where everything is a lie, made up to further torment his. Soft, but quickly growing in intensity until it takes up the main point of his focus and he can center himself within it. Until he's desperate to be closer to it, body twisting to press into it.

Ignis' heart. The rhythm of it so familiar that it feels like a song he once heard and never forgot. It takes over, brings him out of that horrible memory and into the present, until the flashes of images stop and he can finally open his eyes and take in the stark darkness that surrounds them. Until he can finally open his mouth and find his voice to speak.]

I forgive you. [Even though there was nothing to forgive. Even though he would have done the same thing to save someone who he loved so much. How many reckless things had he done to try and keep them all safe and whole? How many more would he do if the need arose? There was no need for forgiveness, but Ignis had asked for it. And he would always offer up whatever Ignis wanted from him.]